Fox’s Expansion Plans Continue to Draw Criticism

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky seriously underestimates his constituents’ opposition to the Fox office park project and misrepresents my role in the Feb. 1 protest by 200 Cheviot residents. The protest was organized by Leslie Johnson and her Cheviot Hills Outreach Committee, not I. My role was as one of 19 representatives of Westside community organizations, including the 59-member Hillside Federation, lending support to the Cheviot community. But then Yaroslavsky did not even send a representative to observe the meeting, so he would not know how broad-based opposition is to Fox’s office park proposal.

My reason for speaking out is personal. Unlike Mr. Yaroslavsky, who lives near La Brea and Beverly, I live in Westwood, the heart of Westside gridlock, close to Century City. Very simply, I want to protect my community. Yaroslavsky and the city have a legal obligation to keep Century City North commercial office space and the South as residential.

Longtime Westside residents remember all too well that Fox played this game before. Fox demanded that unless Fox Plaza was built as corporate office space it would leave. As soon as Fox Plaza was built, Rupert Murdoch sold it! Now it claims it needs more office space and threatens to leave. Our councilman is either naive or disingenuous to fall for such deception a second time.

I oppose the office park in the guise of “studio use.” We have other options, because Fox’s right to build condos expires June 17, 1992, if it fails to record its tentative tract map. Fox is welcome to remodel, build a parking structure and do historic preservation. This would not require a zone change on 53 acres.

If defending the quality of life is political, then yes, I am 110% political, and proud of it! Indeed, my career at the Ford Foundation and UCLA has been environmental protection. I have been active on these issues long before running for office and will continue to speak out during and after any political campaign. If Mr. Yaroslavsky really believes that this is merely an election issue, why doesn’t he deny me this issue by supporting his constituents?

DR. LAURA LAKE

Los Angeles